


Home is Wherever I'm with You

by arimi_skywalker



Category: Arashi (Band), Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe - Historical, Drama & Romance, Edo Period, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-14
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 09:33:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4343405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arimi_skywalker/pseuds/arimi_skywalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sho and Ohno are half-brothers living in the familiar house, which seems to attract someone else's interest...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ohno

**Author's Note:**

  * For [devil29bich](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=devil29bich).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to my dear 'Sho-chan' for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> _If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

It was the third time we saw those two men that month.  
  
One of them was tall, his expression gentle and always wore a tireless smile on his lips, while the other man was small and, even when his expression was gentle too, his eyes had a mischievous sparkle that made me wonder about his true intentions.  
  
"I'm sorry to inform you that we didn't change our minds since last time you came. We're not interested in selling our house"  
  
I was talking to them at our _genkan_ while Sho, my half-brother, listened in silence from the hall. I could hear him clicking his tongue when the smaller man kept insisting, despite my repeated decline on his offer. We inherited the house from our mother after she passed away. It was big and its grounds counted with several feet but it was old and nothing grew in those fields anymore, only mud and a well could be found there. I couldn't understand why those men insisted so much on buying it. Actually, I would've gladly sold it if it wasn't because Sho and I wouldn't have a place to live anymore.  
  
"Please, we beg you", said the taller man.  
  
"I'm really sorry to say no again but this is our home. We don't have anywhere else to go"  
  
"You can buy a new place with the money we pay"  
  
"Yeah", said the smaller one. "The amount we offer is enough to buy one of those cozy houses in town"  
  
I sighed and looked at Sho, who was resting his hands on his hips.  
  
"We inherited this house from our mother", he stated. "It's not about the money. There's an emotional attachment. You can buy one of those cozy houses instead, if you'd like"  
  
I could see how my brother's patience was reaching its end.  
  
"We want to give this house to someone special", the smaller man replied. "They really like this grounds, so we can't buy just any house in town"  
  
"We've been working hard during long hours for several years in order to save money to buy this place", the taller one added. "We know it isn't a big amount but it's the best we can do and we'd be happy if you accepted it"  
  
I looked down, feeling guilty.  
  
Those men sounded really interested in our house. It looked like whoever was the person who liked it, it was very special to them and they were willing to work hard and insist as much as they needed in order to make them happy. It really tore my heart to reject their offer but I couldn't do anything. Even if we could buy one of those small houses in town, our home was filled with treasured memories from our childhood and we were afraid we would end up forgetting about them if we moved out.  
  
"Listen", I said, biting my lip. "I would love to say yes but there are a lot of memories attached to this place, so I have to reject your offer. I hope you understand"  
  
The taller man looked down and pouted while the smaller man sighed.  
  
"Can you at least do something for us?", he asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"If it's something we can do, of course"  
  
"Can you let us in for a little while? We would love to see the inside"  
  
I blinked at the sudden petition and looked over at Sho.  
  
My brother raised an eyebrow, as if wondering why on earth those men wanted to see the inside of such an old house, but he nodded and stepped aside. I turned back to the two men at the door and stepped aside too, allowing them into our home.  
  
"Please, make yourself at home", I said.  
  
Sho watched as the two men took off their shoes and stepped into the hall. He didn't look thrilled about the idea of allowing two strangers into our place but he consented without saying a word. I loved that side of him. Despite his tough character, he was really caring and thoughtful. He didn't have the heart to deny them a quick visit.  
  
The two men stuck to their word and finished their tour in less than fifteen minutes. Sho and I guided them around the house and both of us shrank a little when they entered our bedroom, but they were respectful enough as to not touch anything and left in seconds. I guess they could feel we weren't comfortable about them visiting our most private space, the part of the house where Sho and I spent our nights together and loved each other.  
  
When they finished, I escorted them to the main door while Sho went into the living room. I guess his patience had finally reached its limit and he didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble, so he decided to leave the rest of the visit in my hands. After all, he had already done a lot that evening, knowing his short temper.  
  
"Thank you very much for allowing us into your place", the smaller man said with a deep bow. "You live in a beautiful house"  
  
The taller man bowed as well.  
  
"I'm really sorry", I replied with a bitter smile. "I would like things to be different"  
  
"If you ever change your mind, please let us know. We're always wandering around the town and everyone knows us here, so it's easy to find us"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Will do"  
  
When the two men finally left, I joined Sho in the living room and sat down next to him by the table, sighing as I looked at him. He reached out and gently caressed my cheek, as if trying to calm me down. I closed my eyes and felt his touch in silence. His sweet, gentle touch that always made me feel good.  
  
"Don't worry", he said, after a few seconds. "They will find another place. I'm sure this house is not that important to them"  
  
"I don't know, Sho. Maybe you're right and they forget about it soon but they've been insisting so much over the past month. This is the third time they come to make an offer and today they even asked to see the inside. What if that person they want to make happy is sick or even dying? I would feel awful if it was really like that"  
  
"They wouldn't buy a house for someone who is dying"  
  
"It may sound stupid but I think about it and if you were dying, I would go as far as to buy a house for you if that made you happy"  
  
Sho gave me a sweet smile and leaned in to kiss my lips.  
  
"Thank you", he whispered as he rubbed his thumb over my cheek. "But you don't need to think about such terrible things. Let's go to bed, Satoshi. It's been a long day"  
  
I nodded and tried to stop myself from thinking so much.  
  
Once in our bedroom, with Sho's arms tightly wrapped around me, I thought that everything could actually go well, until an insistent knock on our door woke me up two days later in the morning.  
  
The sunrise was already slipping through the window but I knew it was still very early because Sho had gone to the well, to fetch some fresh water for the day, and he hadn't come back yet. I turned around on my _futon_ and tried to go back to sleep but that persistent knock sounded again, making me frown.  
  
"Ohno-san! Sakurai-san! Open up!", a voice yelled from outside.  
  
I didn't know who could need us so early in the morning but their tone sounded urgent, so I decided to get up and attend them. I threw my _yukata_ on while walking to the main door, without even wearing my _geta_ , just to be surprised by two imperial guards standing there, staring at me while holding up a paper with a lot of _kanji_ and some kind of official seal.  
  
My eyes widened in astonishment.  
  
"We have an order to search your house", stated one of them.  
  
I blinked.  
  
"Our house?"  
  
"Someone reported stolen goods two days ago", the guard pushed me aside and entered our home to start searching it. "We have witnesses who can confirm that you and Sakurai-san are behind it"  
  
"Wait", I said, bewildered by the sudden situation. "There must be a mistake. We didn't steal anything"  
  
"If that's the case, you have nothing to worry about", the other guard said, looking behind a piece of furniture. "We'll search the place and be gone in no time if we really don't find anything suspicious"  
  
"But this is unfair. We are being accused of something we didn't do"  
  
"You'd be surprised at how many criminals claim to be innocent"  
  
"We aren't criminals!", I protested.  
  
The first guard stopped and looked at me, wearing a mocking smile.  
  
"Then why are you so insistent?", he asked. "If you're innocent, let us do our work so that we can leave as soon as possible and you can go back to your chores"  
  
I didn't like their tone.  
  
It sounded as if they already thought we were guilty of a crime we didn't commit but I knew at the time that I wouldn't change anything by arguing with them, so I just clenched my fists in frustration and nodded in silence, watching as they went back to search our home. Including our personal stuff.  
  
When the two guards entered our bedroom, I couldn't stand watching them anymore. I went to the kitchen to make some tea and try to keep myself distracted as they messed up our private stuff, wishing they would finish as soon as possible and leave.  
  
If Sho were home, he would've kicked their arrogant asses right away.  
  
"Ohno-san", the voice of the second guard, who entered the kitchen at that moment, caught my attention. "Can you explain this?"  
  
I turned around and saw he was holding up a small bag made of green velvet that I had never seen before. I frowned and tried to remember if Sho had brought it home but there was no trace of that bag in my memories.  
  
"What's that?", I asked.  
  
"You don't know?", the first guard, who had now joined his partner, was showing me that mocking smile again. "Then why did we find it in your bedroom?"  
  
"I don't know. I've never seen it before"  
  
"Sure", the second guard chuckled. "Maybe a trip to the headquarters will refresh your memory, then"  
  
"Wait! What?!"  
  
The two guards approached me, ignoring my confused expression, and held my hands together on my back as they placed a pair of handcuffs around my wrists. The two of them harshly pushed me, forcing me to walk to the main door and out of the house.  
  
"Hold on", I tried to protest. "I don't even know what's going on"  
  
"Shut up and walk"  
  
At the moment, I could hear rushed steps approaching us.  
  
I looked around and smiled.  
  
"Sho", I said, feeling relieved.  
  
"Hey!", he said as the guards stopped and turned around. "What's going on?"  
  
My brother blinked when he saw the handcuffs around my wrists and looked at the guards, waiting for an explanation.  
  
"May I ask if anything's wrong?", he insisted.  
  
"This bag was reported as stolen goods two days ago", the guard with the mocking smile showed the green velvet bag to Sho. "Some witnesses say they saw the two of you taking it, so we weren't surprised to find it hiding in your bedroom"  
  
"There must be a mistake", Sho frowned. "We didn't steal anything"  
  
"How can you explain it, then?"  
  
"I'm sure there's an explanation"  
  
"We're waiting for it"  
  
Sho remained silent.  
  
I could see on his face that he was just as confused as I was but the two guards didn't show any mercy. One of them pushed me again, this time towards their carriage, and the second approached Sho holding a pair of handcuffs, ready to place them around his wrists.  
  
"Wait!", Sho protested. "I said this is a mistake"  
  
"We think there's no mistake"  
  
"We have the right to prove us innocent! You can't do this!"  
  
"You'll have time to prove it once we reach the headquarters", the guard showed a twisted smile as he tried to place the handcuffs around Sho's wrists.  
  
"I'm telling you that we didn't steal anything", my brother stated, avoiding him.  
  
"Don't try to resist", the guard said, trying to handcuff him again. "You'll make it worse"  
  
"I'm not going to jail because of something I didn't do!"  
  
The second time Sho avoided him, the guard literally jumped on him.  
  
My heart jumped inside my chest.  
  
"Sho!!", I screamed, trying to run to help him but the guard with the mocking smile held me tight. "Let go!!"  
  
I had to watch Sho fighting against that guard who was twice his size and wore armor, while my half-brother only had his _yukata_ and his _geta_ on. He had always been a good fighter but I was afraid that the guard, who had been trained to fight criminals, would hurt him. I twisted and tried to get away from the guard who was holding me; but the harder I tried, the tighter his grip was.  
  
"Let go!!", I yelled. "My brother is going to get hurt!!"  
  
"That's what he gets for being stubborn"  
  
As the guard said those words, Sho kicked the other guard twice and hit his chest with his elbow. I stopped twisting and watched as my brother left that guard unconscious on the floor. Then, he approached me and punched the guard who was holding me right in the center of his face. He immediately let go of me to grab his nose, which had started to bleed, and Sho didn't waste a second to punch his stomach and straddle him on the floor, looking into his pockets. I didn't know what he was doing, until he took a big ring with two keys and used them to release my wrists.  
  
"Hurry up, Satoshi! Let's run out of here!"  
  
He tried to hold my hand but the guard behind him got up and jumped on him. Sho fell immediately, hitting his arm and head against the ground, but he didn't even had the chance to recover because that guard was already straddling him, holding my brother's hands together on his back.  
  
"Did you think you could beat us?", the guard hissed. "You sure are shameless and foolish"  
  
"Shut up, bastard!", roared my brother, looking up at me. "Run, Satoshi!! Get out of here!! I will follow you soon!!"  
  
Sho was way stronger than me and a better fighter. He had always been the one to protect me whenever I found myself in a fight but I knew he couldn't do it alone this time. He hadn't eaten anything yet and those two guards were strong. They hadn't been easy to fight, so now my brother was visibly exhausted. Probably, I wouldn't be much of a help with my weak body and non-existent fighting skills but I wouldn't go anywhere without Sho.  
  
I gathered up all my courage and jumped on the guard's back, covering his eyes with my hands. The man started to twist as he tried to get rid of me but I did my best to stay there and give Sho as much time as possible to recover. I was still clinging on the guard's back when he lost his balance and both of us rolled on the floor. My brother took the chance to stand up and grab the guard's shirt to lift him up and punch his face several times.  
  
"You touched Satoshi!!", he yelled to the man, who was about to collapse by then. "If you ever dare to touch him again, I will kill you, bastard!!"  
  
Despite the state of the guard, Sho didn't stop hitting him. Truth is that I would've liked to kill him myself but I knew that it would only cause us even more trouble, so I stood up and approached my brother, hugging him from his back.  
  
"It's enough, Sho", I said. "Stop it"  
  
My half-brother then stopped hitting the guard, who lied on the ground panting, unable to move. I caressed Sho's chest, trying to calm his anger, and tightened the grip around him. As much as those guards deserved everything they were getting, I really didn't want Sho to do anything stupid. I stayed like that for a little while, hugging my half-brother, but the first guard was now trying to stand on his feet and get us again, which made Sho tense up and suddenly grab my hand to run into the forest, pulling me along with him.  
  
"Wait! Where are we going?", I asked as we ran.  
  
"I don't know, Satoshi. Just run"  
  
"But-"  
  
"We aren't going to jail", he stated. "That's all I know"  
  
His tone was firm and determined.  
  
I knew he wouldn't pay attention to anything I could say at the moment, so I just ran with him until both of us were so exhausted that we had to stop in order to catch our breath. He leaned against a tree and closed his eyes as he raised his head. He was panting, sweating, and his _yukata_ was half undone, exposing his shoulder and part of his chest. His bare skin looked so fair and smooth under the morning sun that I couldn't help standing on tiptoe and gently placed a kiss on his collarbone, letting my irregular breathing caress him.  
  
"You were so brave", I whispered against his neck, slowly trailing kisses up his neck.  
  
"Someone woke up feeling playful today", he smiled.  
  
I slowly caressed his lips with my thumb, pressing my body against his, slowly moving in circles as I cut down the distance between us and finally placed my lips on his. I kissed him gently at first but as friction turned me on more, I deepened the kiss, hungrily seeking for his tongue.  
  
"Hold on, hold on", he whispered, gently pulling me away. "We're in the middle of the forest and we don't even know if we can go back home. We should look for-"  
  
"Shh", I placed my finger on his lips. "Don't worry about it now"  
  
I undid his _obi_ as I kissed him again. When he tried to protest, I deepened the kiss as I quickly slid my hand inside his underwear. He relaxed right away and sighed with pleasure. Seeing him fighting had turned me on so much that I couldn't control myself anymore. I just wanted him.  
  
I wanted him right there.  
  
Sho shifted our positions at some point and pulled down our underwear. Then, he pushed me against the tree where he had been leaning on before, lifting my legs and wrapping them around his waist. We had what I would call the wildest sexual encounter ever and he almost collapsed on me when we finished.  
  
I smiled as I stroked his hair, messy and sweaty.  
  
"We'll go to hell for this", he said against my chest. "You know it, right?"  
  
"Technically, we aren't brothers"  
  
"Our mother is the same"  
  
"But our father isn't"  
  
"Do you really think there's a rule which excludes brothers with different fathers?"  
  
"I don't know about that but I'm sure there's one for us. It wouldn't be fair if this love was really forbidden"  
  
He smiled and gently kissed my lips.  
  
"You know I love you more than anything, right?", he whispered.  
  
"Right", I smiled back.  
  
I didn't know where we were heading to but I trusted Sho blindly.  
  
I would follow him wherever he went.  
  
Always.


	2. Sho

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to my dear 'Sho-chan' for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> _If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

We had been walking around the forest for several hours.  
  
I knew we couldn't go back home because it might be infested with guards by then, so I suggested walking to the next village before our faces were all over the place. However, the night fell and we were still far away from reaching anywhere. I could feel Satoshi's uneasiness growing after a whole day without food or water, walking under the burning summer sun, so I thought it was time to stop and change our plans.  
  
"I think it'll be better if we spend the night here", I told him.  
  
He looked around, confusion reflected on his face.  
  
We were only surrounded by thousands of trees.  
  
"We won't make it to the next village before midnight and no shop will be open by then", I explained. "I remember there's a river around here and these trees are thick enough to hide us, so we should stop and have some rest for tonight. Also, I think we should clean that wound of yours as soon as possible"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
Satoshi looked down at his feet and saw the ugly cut on his ankle, surrounded by dried blood. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked up at me. How could it be he didn't notice he had a cut?  
  
"You haven't noticed?", I chuckled.  
  
He gave me a sheepish smile.  
  
My Satoshi was adorable.  
  
"Come on", I said, pulling his hand. "I'll help you"  
  
I guided him among the trees and soon we reached the river. When we sat together by the shore, Satoshi dipped his feet into the water, allowing the fresh feeling to sooth them right away. I tried to reach out and clean his wound but he stopped me.  
  
"I'll do it, don't worry", he said with a smile.  
  
"Okay", I smiled back. "Then wait here"  
  
I stood up and went back into the forest. I knew of a plant that grew near the river and which leaves had a natural healing power for small cuts and wounds. It didn't take me long to find it and soon I was back to the river, carrying a few leaves in my hands. I placed them on a big stone and looked for a pebble, which I used to smash the leaves before handing them out to Satoshi.  
  
"Dry your feet and put this on your wound. It will help"  
  
He nodded and accepted the smashed leaves, placing them on his ankle.  
  
"How did you know you could find this around here?", he asked.  
  
"I know this forest like the back of my hand. When I was young, I used to get lost around here quite often"  
  
"So here's where you came when you disappeared back then?"  
  
I chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed.  
  
"Yeah, I was terrible. I only wanted to catch attention because I was jealous of you"  
  
"You were jealous of me?", he asked in surprise.  
  
"In my eyes, you were the spoiled one. Even when we lived with my mom and my dad, I felt they paid more attention to you. Most probably, it was because you lost your father and were forced to move in with us, but I didn't understand it back then"  
  
Satoshi gave me his sweetest smile.  
  
"You know? I'm glad I had to move in with your family", he said as he pressed the leaves against his ankle. "I mean, I'm not glad my dad died. I loved him. But I had the chance to meet you, so I think I was blessed somehow"  
  
"I hated you when we were young", I chuckled, feeling even more embarrassed.  
  
"I know", he chuckled as well. "I don't even know why I fell for you, when you used to be such a spoiled brat"  
  
" _Gomen_ "  
  
He shook his head and looked at me.  
  
"You've changed a lot"  
  
"Thanks to you"  
  
"To me?", his eyes widened in surprise.  
  
I nodded and looked at the river, stretching my arms.  
  
"I'm so tired! We should go to sleep now. We need to wake up early tomorrow and continue our way to the village"  
  
"Wait, what did you say just now? Why did you m-?"  
  
I interrupted him by leaning in and kissing his lips.  
  
"Sleeping also deceives hunger", I winked and walked inside the forest.  
  
Satoshi stayed at the shore for a little longer, holding the leaves against his ankle, then threw them away and followed me into the forest. He found me between two trees that were close to each other, lying on a bunch of dry leaves I had gathered before he arrived. I smiled when I saw him and motioned him to join him.  
  
"The branches of these trees will protect us from the dew in the morning", I said, looking up. "I hope it doesn't rain tonight"  
  
Satoshi approached me and lied beside me in silence, snuggling up against my chest.  
  
Even when we were in a desperate situation, I was glad to have him by my side. His warmth made everything a little less hostile, especially in the morning, when I was awaken by the sound of his singing voice. When I opened my eyes, he wasn't by my side but I knew exactly where to find him. I only had to follow the beautiful sound of his voice. I smiled to myself and I walked to the river, where he was calmly sitting down inside the water, singing his favorite song. I took off my clothes and silently waded in, approaching him from behind.  
  
"Good morning", I said, wrapping my arms around him.  
  
He only turned a little to look at me but I knew I had startled him.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't want to scare you", I chuckled.  
  
"Sho", he said, turning around in my arms. "When did you get here?"  
  
"Just seconds ago. I followed your song"  
  
"Sorry I woke you up. I get carried away when I sing"  
  
"It's okay. It was the best way to wake up"  
  
I leaned in to kiss his lips and caressed his cheek.  
  
"You know?", he said. "I was thinking about who could've reported us"  
  
"I wonder who they are too. Though, I want to think they did it by mistake"  
  
"Yeah, I wouldn't like to think someone is making a false accusation on purpose", Satoshi frowned. "That would be mean"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Anyway, we should hurry up now. The sooner we reach the next village, the higher are the chances of arriving before the guards warn people about us"  
  
Normally, I wouldn't resist Satoshi when he was naked in my arms but I was starving and felt too weak as to think about anything else than food at the moment. We made our way out of the river, laid under the sun for a little while and then put on our underwear and _yukata_. I had my _geta_ but Satoshi was barefoot, so I decided to give him my shoes because he had that ugly wound on his ankle. It wasn't big but it looked like it didn't want to heal properly, so I preferred him not to run around barefoot for the time being.  
  
It took us around two hours to reach a pathway I could recognize. Normally, an hour would've been more than enough but our steps were slow and heavy due to the hunger and exhaustion, even when it was early in the morning and the sun wasn't too hot yet. When I finally saw familiar surroundings, my heart jumped inside my chest as I turned to Satoshi, who was walking behind me.  
  
"We made it!!", I exclaimed with a wide smile on my lips.  
  
"Really?!", he tried to see something ahead. "I can't see any houses"  
  
"Only a little bit longer. I know this path! It takes to the village! I'm sure!"  
  
"Let's go, then!"  
  
Satoshi's expression changed the moment he heard my words and his steps became faster. I couldn't help laughing as I quickly caught him and we walked together to our salvation. Finally. We would be able to eat and drink something. We would buy clothes, a tent, a pair of shoes for Satoshi, and some food to carry with us. We would also need to buy something to heal his wound before it got infected, so I wanted to check how much money we had with us in order not to spend too much in other things, but the moment I reached my pocket to grab my wallet I realized my _yukata_ didn't actually have pockets.  
  
"Satoshi", I called him, stopping on my tracks.  
  
"What is it?", he said, motioning me to continue walking. "Hurry up, Sho. I'm starving"  
  
"Do you have any money with you?"  
  
"Eh?", he blinked. "No. I was awakened by the guards, so I didn't have the time to grab my wallet or anything. I hardly had the time to put on my _yukata_ "  
  
I looked at him, my eyes widened in shock.  
  
"We don't have any money, then", I said, almost in a whisper.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"I never take my wallet to the well, so..."  
  
"What are we going to do now?", he pouted.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe we can work in exchange of food"  
  
"Do you think anyone will hire us for a day?"  
  
"Well, I guess they don't need to hire us. We could wash the dishes, clean the restaurant or paint the walls. You could even draw something as decoration, it would be unique"  
  
Satoshi nodded.  
  
"I'm starving, so I'm willing to do anything", he said.  
  
"Okay", I chuckled. "Let's go then"  
  
Hopefully, my idea would work.  
  
I was lost in my own thoughts while walking, trying to think about the best way to approach people in a village where we didn't know anyone and how we could explain why we didn't have any money with us, when I noticed that Satoshi, who was walking a little ahead of me, had stopped in front of a tree and was staring at it, tilting his head.  
  
"What's wrong?", I asked, approaching him.  
  
He didn't reply.  
  
He just stared at the tree in silence with a blank expression.  
  
When I followed his eyes, my own eyes widened as I gaped.  
  
"Damn it...", I whispered.  
  
Satoshi looked at me.  
  
"Does this mean we're in trouble?"  
  
"Pretty much", I frowned. "I never thought they would be this fast"  
  
Stuck on the trunk, a long yellowish paper showed our faces, as if we were two criminals, and it said they offered a high reward to the one who turned us in. The guards had reached the village before us and people had been warned we were on the run.  
  
"What are we going to do now?", Satoshi asked, looking concerned.  
  
"I don't know. Let's get out of here for now"  
  
I held his hand and pulled him with me as I walked back inside the forest.  
  
"Why are we going back into the forest?"  
  
"We need to hide. If someone finds us, we'll be in trouble"  
  
"But, Sho, we can't live without eating"  
  
"I know, but that would be our last concern if someone finds us. Trust me"  
  
He didn't say anything else as the two of us walked in silence for what it could've been an hour. I was still holding his hand as we made our way in between trees and bushes, and I wasn't planning on letting go for the time being. I wanted to protect him. Even if all I could do was holding his hand to show him that he wasn't alone.  
  
The sun was shining up in the sky, telling us it was around noon. I didn't have any idea about how long we had been walking by then, but Satoshi's words made me stop and turn around to look at him.  
  
"We should try to go back home", he said.  
  
"Go back home?", I repeated, trying to make sure I had heard him well.  
  
"Yeah", he nodded. "If we go now, we'll reach home past midnight. I don't think the guards will be there by then"  
  
"I don't know, Satoshi. It's too dangerous"  
  
"I know, but it's worth a try. It's either that or starving to death"  
  
I frowned at his words.  
  
I hated thinking about Satoshi dying and we had already lost everything anyway, so he was right. Maybe we could pay a quick visit to our house, take a few things to survive and leave quickly, before anyone could notice we had been there.  
  
"Okay, let's try", I said. "But first, let's stop by the river. It isn't far away from here and I want to clean your wound before we continue our way"  
  
"I'm fine", he replied with a gentle smile.  
  
"We should rest for a few minutes, anyway. It's too hot"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"That's true"  
  
I don't know if he really agreed or if he only nodded because he knew I was too stubborn and wouldn't change my mind, but he followed me to the river, which was less than a kilometer away. We rested there for a little while. I joined Satoshi this time and dipped my feet into the river, allowing the fresh water to spoil my harmed toes just a little bit before we had to continue our journey under that suffocating sun. Then, I looked for those healing leaves I had found for him the previous night and placed them on his wound. It looked a little better now, most likely because wearing my _geta_ was helping, but I still thought we had to look for some real medicine before it got infected. It didn't look serious but it was big enough as to cause trouble if something went wrong.  
  
We walked through the forest for the rest of the day and part of the night. We tried to go as fast as our feet allowed us but it wasn't easy when we had been so many hours without food or any kind of drink. Our mouths were so dry that we opted for being silent. It wasn't like we were in the mood for talking, anyway. The hunger and the heat had us in a bad mood, and I think that the only thing both of us could think about at the moment was hoping that the guards weren't at our house when we reached it. If they happened to be there, we would be in serious trouble.  
  
It was dark when we finally stepped in familiar grounds. We hadn't reached our house yet but I knew the surroundings pretty well, and I knew our well wasn't far from our current location. Despite the terrible hunger, the thirst and the exhaustion, reaching a place my eyes finally recognized made me smile. I knew it was dangerous being there but the feeling of being home was nice.  
  
Very nice.  
  
"We are very close", I said.  
  
"I hope I can get my brush and a canvas"  
  
I laughed.  
  
"Do you think it's a good idea to carry them around while we're on the run?"  
  
"Oh, right", he blushed. "Probably not a good idea"  
  
I shook my head as I chuckled.  
  
"Do you think the guards ate our chocolate?", he asked.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Our chocolate. I want chocolate"  
  
"I want shabu shabu"  
  
"Probably midnight isn't the best time to go buy fresh food"  
  
We laughed together.  
  
That's why I loved him.  
  
As long as we were together, everything would be fine. Satoshi could enlighten any dark moment with his laid-back personality, and the sound on his laughter was always comforting to me.  
  
"We should be careful now", I told him. "If there's someone around, we'll go back to the forest immediately. Just follow me and everything should be fine"  
  
He nodded.  
  
We carefully approached our grounds, making sure to be as silent as possible, watching everything around us. No guard could be spotted until the moment and I could already see the roof of our house among the trees, so a good feeling started to get over me. It looked like we wouldn't starve to death in the end.  
  
"Stay behind me", I whispered as we hid behind a bush.  
  
"Okay"  
  
I looked around and tried to leave our hiding place to continue the way into our grounds but Satoshi pulled my _yukata_ , nearly making me fall. I had to place my hands on the ground to keep my balance.  
  
"You startled me", I told him, my heart racing inside my chest. "What happened?"  
  
"Look", he said, pointing straight.  
  
I followed his finger with my eyes and found he was pointing at our house.  
  
"There's light inside...", I gasped.  
  
He nodded.  
  
"And people"  
  
"People?!", I exclaimed.  
  
"Yeah, look at that window. There's a shadow moving in our living room"  
  
I frowned as I clenched my fists.  
  
"Those bastards! Why do they think they have the right to enter our home? It's unbelievable!", I looked again at the window. "They're even drinking and eating there, as if it were their home. I'm so mad. I'd punch their arrogant faces right now"  
  
"Let's do that", Satoshi stated calmly.  
  
"Eh?", I blinked.  
  
Before I could even react, he started walking through the open grounds, straight to our house. I stood up immediately and followed him, trying to stop him. He was nearly committing a suicide.  
  
"Satoshi!", I called him out. "Satoshi, come back! What are you doing?!"  
  
"Jail is better than starving for another day"  
  
"What are you saying?! Come back!"  
  
I was about to reach him when a shadow came out of nowhere and blocked his way. Satoshi stopped and looked up at the figure that stood in front of him. It was a young man, taller than him, who looked at my half-brother with cruel eyes. I didn't know who he was but I understood he didn't want to be our friend, so I quickly walked the few steps that separated me from Satoshi and stood in between them, giving that man a challenging look.  
  
If he wanted to hurt Satoshi, he would have to beat me first.


	3. Jun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to my dear 'Sho-chan' for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> _If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

Aiba-chan dropped the third jar of water that night.  
  
He apologized and said he would go to the well to fetch more but I knew he would probably get lost on his way there, so I told him I would do it myself. I didn't like the idea of walking out that late at night but we had just begun our dinner, so it's not like I had a chance to avoid it.  
  
I left the house and could still hear Nino's voice scolding Aiba-chan inside, when I saw the shadows of two men approaching our home through our grounds. One of them was short and walked straight to the house, taking determined steps, while the other was taller and clumsily walked behind the first one, as if trying to stop him before he reached our place.  
  
I frowned and didn't hesitate to walk to them.  
  
No burglar would enter our house.  
  
"Hey!", I said as I stood in front of the shorter one. "What are you doing in our grounds?"  
  
The taller one quickly stepped in between us and gave me a challenging look.  
  
I narrowed my eyes.  
  
"If you want to hurt him, you'll have to beat me first", he stated.  
  
"Hurt him?", I raised an eyebrow. "You're the ones who entered our grounds"  
  
"This is our home!", the taller one assured.  
  
"Your home?", I blinked. "I think you must be mistaken. My two friends bought it from the previous owners, so the three of us live here now"  
  
The two men looked stunned.  
  
"I think there's a mistake, sir", the shorter one replied. "We nev-"  
  
"We're the owners of this place!", the taller one interrupted him, his brows furrowed. "We never sold it to anyone, so get out of here before I make you leave with my own hands"  
  
I snorted.  
  
"You and how many more?", I scoffed. "Please, leave before I call the guards"  
  
The taller man clenched his fists and I could see how he was about to jump on me, but the shorter man grabbed his wrist and stopped him, begging him to control himself. Then he looked at me with a confused expression, trying to understand what was happening.  
  
"Excuse my brother", he said. "He's a little nervous because we don't understand what's happening. Sir, this is our home. We never sold it to anyone, so we're surprised to hear your story"  
  
I observed him in silence.  
  
Judging by the expression on his face, it seemed to me that he was telling the truth, so I didn't know what to do. If they were the real owners and they never sold the place, we were in trouble. We had been living in someone else's home for the past two days.  
  
"What are your names?", I asked.  
  
"I'm Ohno Satoshi", the shorter man replied. "And this is my brother, Sakurai Sho"  
  
"I'm Matsumoto Jun", I said, looking at the house. "I live here with my two friends, Aiba Masaki and Ninomiya Kazunari. They said they bought this house from you because you decided to leave the village"  
  
"What?! We never planned to leave the village. I can't believe this", Sakurai stated, astonished. "Two men tried to buy it several times but we always rejected their offers. We never sold our house to anyone"  
  
The expressions on their faces looked honest but something didn't fit the whole story.  
  
"Why didn't you come back before, then?", I stated my doubts. "Me and my friends have been living here for the past two days and no one came to claim these grounds"  
  
"It's a long story", Ohno bit his lower lip.  
  
"To make it short, we're on the run because the imperial guards came here all of a sudden one morning, accusing us for stealing a bag of jewels which we still don't know how it ended up in our house"  
  
I blinked.  
  
"A bag of jewels, you say?"  
  
"Yeah", Sakurai snorted. "But it's all a lie. We didn't steal anything"  
  
"How does it look like?"  
  
"What?", Ohno asked, confused.  
  
"That bag", I said. "How does it look like?"  
  
Ohno seemed to make an effort to remember.  
  
"I couldn't see it well but I think it was small and made of green velvet"  
  
My eyes widened as thoughts were crowding in my mind.  
  
Damn it.  
  
"It can't be", I muttered. "I can't believe this"  
  
"It's the truth", Sakurai said. "After the whole ruckus, we ran to the next village but we saw posters with our faces around the forest! We didn't know where to go. We are starving!"  
  
"When did this happen, again?", I asked to reconfirm.  
  
"Two days ago", Ohno replied.  
  
"Two days ago", I mumbled. "It fits"  
  
"What?", Ohno asked.  
  
"Two days ago. That's when Nino got his jewels back"  
  
"Who?"  
  
Sakurai frowned, while Ohno stared at me with a blank expression on his face.  
  
"Ninomiya, my friend and one of the two men who tried to buy your house. He has a bag of jewels he got from his mother when she died", I explained. "He claimed someone stole it four days ago and then he got them back two days ago. I thought he was lucky to find them in such a short period of time"  
  
Ohno's eyes widened in surprise.  
  
"Are you saying the bag is his?"  
  
"I think so", I nodded. "Everything makes sense now. I always thought it was strange that you guys decided to leave the village all of a sudden and sold these valuable grounds for such a low price"  
  
"So, Ninomiya left the bag in our house on purpose and reported us to the guards to get our grounds?", Sakurai clenched his fists again.  
  
I frowned.  
  
"Wait! I wouldn't go that far", I said.  
  
He was talking about Nino.  
  
My partner.  
  
I didn't like the tone he was using. I knew Nino could be nerve-wracking and bratty at times but he wasn't a bad person. Sakurai was implying that Nino had tricked them on purpose and false accusing him and his brother, and I couldn't allow it.  
  
"I remember how he begged us to let him into our house the last time we rejected his offer", Ohno said. "He said he would be happy if we allowed him to see the inside"  
  
"That's probably when he put the bag in our bedroom", Sakurai mumbled.  
  
I didn't want to believe their words.  
  
I was confused, torn between my feelings and reality, and the worst thing was that I suspected that not only Nino was involved in this but Aiba-chan too. I knew they had been plotting something together since weeks ago but whenever I asked them about what was going on, they would always say it was nothing.  
  
Could have they really gone that far?  
  
"Look", I said. "I think you guys are being honest here but Nino and Aiba-chan are my friends, so I need to have a talk with them before jumping to conclusions"  
  
Sakurai hissed something I couldn't understand but was stopped again by Ohno.  
  
"Can you at least help us, please?", Ohno made a sad face. "We're starving"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"I'll help you. I'll bring you food"  
  
"And water. And clothes", Sakurai demanded.  
  
"I'll bring you food, water and clothes, but I can't give your house back yet"  
  
Sakurai snorted and looked away.  
  
"This is ridiculous", he claimed.  
  
"Sho, Matsumoto-san is being nice to us. Don't be unfair to him"  
  
"He's living in our house while we're on the run because his friend tricked us, and you still say I'm the one who's unfair?"  
  
Ohno sighed and looked at me.  
  
"Thank you so much", he bowed.  
  
"I'll try to find the truth as soon as possible", I bowed back. "For now, go hide somewhere before someone spots you. I'll be back soon with everything I can gather for you"  
  
Ohno nodded and dragged a reluctant Sakurai into the forest with him.  
  
Instead of going to the well to fetch the water we needed, I went straight back to the house and sneaked into the attic, where we had packed everything Ohno and Sakurai left behind when we moved in. It took me a while to find them but I eventually gathered some clothes for the two men, a pair of _geta_ , since I had noticed that Sakurai was barefoot, and even a tent. I found it by chance and thought they could find it useful. I carried all the stuff downstairs and left it on the _genkan_ while I went to the kitchen to gather some food in a couple of big bags, then carried it all out. On my way, I caught Nino's eyes carefully watching me but I kept walking, ignoring him.  
  
I found Ohno and Sakurai sitting behind a bush close to the well. Ohno had his arms crossed over his stomach and was resting against Sakurai's chest, who was stroking his hair while frowning, with a pensive expression on his face. When they heard my steps, Ohno immediately sat up and Sakurai nervously shifted, as if I had caught them doing something they shouldn't be doing.  
  
"I bring you food", I announced, setting the bags down. "As for water, I have to go to the well to fetch it now. We don't have any at home"  
  
"You don't have water?", Sakurai asked, surprised.  
  
"It's a long story"  
  
Ohno was too busy looking into the bags and wolfing down everything he found. Sakurai grabbed an _onigiri_ and carefully unwrapped it.  
  
"I brought you clothes too", I said. "And also a tent"  
  
I think Ohno thanked me but I'm not sure because his mouth was full and he didn't even look up as he spoke, so I couldn't understand what he said. Sakurai looked at the tent, as if wondering where it came from, and then nodded to himself, as if he had just remembered or discovered something that made him understand.  
  
"We can go pick up water ourselves", he said, biting his _onigiri_ again. "We know where our well is, so you don't have to go. Just make sure you bring us food everyday"  
  
I raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What's with the demanding tone? I'm helping you, right?"  
  
Sakurai looked up at me, his eyes cruel.  
  
"You still live in our house. Leave and maybe I'll start being nice"  
  
"You're quite stubborn"  
  
"You're quite shameless", he accused me.  
  
I snorted.  
  
"Okay, I'll leave before I do or say something I may regret", I was trying hard to control myself as I spoke because Sakurai was really pissing me off. "I'll come back tomorrow"  
  
"We'll be in the clearing hidden among trees, right behind the well. You know where?"  
  
"Yes, I do"  
  
Sakurai nodded.  
  
"If you tell Ninomiya or anyone else where we are, I'll kill you"  
  
I rolled my eyes and walked back home.  
  
I didn't even say goodbye because Sakurai was truly bothering me with his attitude. I knew that if I stayed there for a single second longer, I would end up arguing or fighting with him. It was true that I was still living in what they claimed it was their home but what could I do? Aiba-chan and Nino had said something completely different and even when everything seemed to show they had lied, I didn't want to judge them yet.  
  
Not until I had talked to them and heard what they had to say.  
  
" _Okaeri_ ", Nino greeted me as I opened the door.  
  
He was sitting down on the edge of the _genkan_.  
  
I raised an eyebrow as I slipped off my _geta_. I didn't know what he was up to but it wasn't like him to wait for anyone at the door like a little puppy.  
  
" _Tadaima_ ", I replied.  
  
"I was waiting for you", he showed me his nice smile.  
  
Definitely, he was up to something.  
  
"Are you a puppy now?", I chuckled, patting his head. "Maybe I should buy you a tail you can happily move"  
  
"I'm thirsty", he pouted.  
  
I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Quit playing games. What do you want?"  
  
"I told you, I'm thirsty. Where's the water?"  
  
Damn it.  
  
The water.  
  
"I forgot it"  
  
"You forgot it?", he tried to pout again but I could see the mischievous glitter in his eyes.  
  
I understood it then.  
  
"Okay, I know what you're trying to do here", I sighed. "It's because you saw me carrying all the stuff before, right?"  
  
"Maybe", he shrugged.  
  
I looked at him.  
  
"I can explain it, but first I need to talk to you and Aiba-chan. Is he still awake?"  
  
"He's in the living room. He said he didn't want to go to bed until you were back"  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Come with me, please"  
  
I stepped into the house and walked down the corridor to the living room, where I found Aiba-chan sitting down at the table. Nino followed me but he stopped at the door and leaned on the doorframe as Aiba-chan jumped up when he saw me, running to throw his arms around my neck.  
  
"Jun!", he said. "It took you so long to come back. I was worried"  
  
I placed my hand on his hair and stroke it with a smile.  
  
"He didn't go to the well", Nino accused me from my back.  
  
I clicked my tongue.  
  
"I said I can explain it, didn't I?"  
  
Aiba-chan let go of me and gave a confused look.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Can we have a talk?", I said, pointing to the table. "Please"  
  
Aiba-chan walked to the table and sat down but Nino stood at the door, staring at me. I begged him with my eyes and he eventually joined Aiba-chan at the table, but he still looked somewhere between disappointed and cautious.  
  
"I'm going to be straightforward here", I announced, sighing as I looked at them. "I know you lied when you said you bought this house from Ohno and Sakurai"  
  
Aiba-chan jumped in his seat and his eyes widened as he looked at Nino, who was sitting still, staring at me with a smirk on his face. I wondered what he found so amusing in the conversation because it was a hard situation for me. The two people I cared about the most had lied to me.  
  
"Why do you think we lied?"  
  
Nino's attitude was cold and distant, which was starting to worry me.  
  
"I don't think. I know it"  
  
"Why?", he repeated.  
  
I sighed and shook my head.  
  
"Because I talked to Ohno and Sakurai", I admitted.  
  
Aiba-chan jumped again, his eyes full of fear.  
  
"You talked to those criminals and didn't report them?", Nino's tone was challenging.  
  
I frowned and stepped forward until I was standing in front of them. I stared at my two partners in silence, watching Nino's defensive attitude and Aiba-chan's shaking body, and I understood everything.  
  
Sakurai and Ohno were right.  
  
As hard as it was for me, they were right.  
  
"You put the bag in their bedroom, now I know it", I said, almost in a whisper.  
  
It hurt to say it aloud.  
  
Because saying it aloud made it so real.  
  
"What?", Nino pretended to be offended.  
  
"I didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to think you could go that far for a house and a few inches of ground, but now I can see it clearly. You tricked them"  
  
Aiba-chan lowered his head as Nino stood up to face me.  
  
"What the hell is wrong with you, Jun? You say you go to fetch water and you not only take ages to come back, worrying Aiba-chan and me, but you accuse me of tricking those people and lying to you"  
  
"Not only you. I know Aiba-chan helped", I looked at Aiba-chan. "Which I would've never expected, honestly. I never imagined you were this ambitious and selfish"  
  
"Jun, I..."  
  
Aiba-chan tried to speak but his voice cracked.  
  
"Don't attack him because you know he won't face you like I do", Nino grumbled.  
  
"It's not about attacking anyone. It's about what you did, guys. I still can't believe you went this far"  
  
"We did nothing. What you're saying is false"  
  
"Why did Ohno and Sakurai come back home today if they sold this house to you, then? Why were your jewels found so soon, only two days after you reported them lost? And why is it that you knew it was Ohno and Sakurai who had them?"  
  
"I didn't know it"  
  
"Then why did you report them to the guards?"  
  
Nino stared at me in silence.  
  
"Say, Nino! Why?!"  
  
"Don't yell at me!"  
  
"I yell because I'm going crazy. You're the two people I love the most, how do you think I feel right now? You tricked those men and you tricked me too. I've been living in this house, which isn't ours, without knowing the truth"  
  
"We bought it!", Nino insisted.  
  
"Stop it!", Aiba-chan exclaimed.  
  
Nino and I looked at him.  
  
"We didn't buy it...", he sobbed. "We didn't buy this house..."  
  
"Aiba-chan, don't-"  
  
Nino tried to protest but I interrupted him.  
  
"What about the jewels? Nino put them in this house, right?"  
  
"Right", Aiba-chan admitted. "But it wasn't only his fault. I helped him"  
  
I sighed as I ran my hands through my hair.  
  
"You have to say this to the guards"  
  
Nino turned around with wide eyes.  
  
"What?!", he exclaimed.  
  
"We can't do that, Jun", Aiba-chan was terrified. "We would go to jail!"  
  
I stared at both of them while I still had my hands in my hair, trying to think about what to do, but things were too confusing. I didn't want Aiba-chan and Nino to go to jail but they had done something terrible, and now two innocent people were being unfairly chased by the imperial guards.  
  
I stormed out the living room and locked myself in a small room we didn't use. We used to sleep together in the main room but I didn't feel like placing my _futon_ next to theirs that night. I needed to think, be by myself and clear my mind. I was so angry, frustrated and confused that I knew we would only argue more and more if I stayed with them.  
  
Minutes later, I could hear Nino's voice coming from the living room.  
  
He was scolding Aiba-chan for telling me the truth.


	4. Nino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to my dear 'Sho-chan' for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
>    
>  _If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

  
Jun knew everything.  
  
He knew the real story. He knew about our lies. And he was furious. I guess that bumping into Sakurai and Ohno so abruptly just made it even more difficult for him to understand what Aiba-chan and I had done, and gave us less chances to explain our real reasons behind it.  
  
When he yelled at me and said we should tell the truth to the guards, I thought he had gone crazy. I knew he was a fair person who didn't like to trick others but we were his partners, the people he claimed to love the most. Shouldn't he be on our side? I don't say he had to support everything we did but asking us to report ourselves was ridiculous. He seemed to be serious though, because he locked himself in the small room we never used and slept there. He had never been as mad as to sleep in a different place since we started living together, even before moving to that house.  
  
Aiba-chan cried for most part of the night and I ended up feeling awful for yelling at him when he admitted what we had done in front of Jun. At first, I was lying on my _futon_ , my back facing him, but I couldn't stand hearing his sobs for too long. I turned around and invited him into my _futon_ , which he accepted in silence, and stroke his hair until he finally calmed down and fell asleep. He was an idiot and his mouth was too big, but he was my idiot. It hurt to see him so upset, probably thinking that Jun would never forgive us.  
  
The following morning, I was sitting at the living room table, having some hot _miso soup_ as breakfast, when Jun entered the room. He didn't greet me or look at me at all. He just walked to the end of the room as if I didn't exist and looked for something inside a tall chest of drawers.  
  
"Morning", I said, taking a sip of my soup.  
  
I didn't get any reply.  
  
"What are you looking for?", I insisted.  
  
"None of your business"  
  
"What's with the bad mood? I only wanted to help"  
  
Jun snorted a mocking smile and kept looking into the drawers.  
  
I stared at him in silence. His eyebrows were furrowed and his expression was tense. Obviously, he was still mad, so I knew he wouldn't make it easy for me but I still wanted to talk to him. I wanted to have the chance to explain myself. I knew he had given me that chance the night before and I had wasted it, but I still wanted to fix things. Jun was very important to us and I didn't want to see that upset look in Aiba-chan's face anymore.  
  
"Aiba-chan and I missed you last night", I tried again.  
  
"Get used to it because I'm not going back to the room with you, guys"  
  
"Now, you are just being ridiculous"  
  
"Ridiculous, you say?", he immediately turned to me. "I'm not the one who tricked two innocent people and tried to put them in jail in order to get their house"  
  
"There's a reason behind it"  
  
"No reason can explain such an awful behavior"  
  
I sighed and clicked my tongue.  
  
I felt irritated with Jun's attitude but he still deserved the truth.  
  
"We wanted to give you a better life"  
  
Jun stared at me in silence, his dark eyes fixed on me. I knew he was trying to find an answer on my face, so it was my chance to try to convince him to forgive us. Or at least, forgive Aiba-chan.  
  
"We know you come from a wealthy family and you had to give up your inheritance for us. Aiba-chan and I always thought it wasn't fair that you had to give up your lifestyle to be with us, while we didn't have to give up anything. When we heard Ohno and Sakurai's grounds were full of precious stones, we thought we would finally be able to give you the life you deserve"  
  
"You have to be kidding me", he was astonished.  
  
"No, I'm not. I'm very serious, actually"  
  
"You are idiots, then. The biggest idiots on earth"  
  
"Maybe", I shrugged.  
  
"What made you think I needed precious stones or rich grounds?"  
  
"I don't know, Jun. You're always complaining about eating rice every day. You have to wear these cheap clothes now, when you used to wear those beautiful and expensive _kimono_ before. We can only imagine how tough it must be for you, so we only wanted to give you what you had to give up for us. We wanted to make you happy"  
  
"Tricking other people and stealing their grounds isn't the best way to make me happy"  
  
"I know, I know. Aiba-chan and I gave it a lot of thinking before we finally made up our minds. We knew it wasn't right"  
  
"You're idiots"  
  
"You've already said that"  
  
"You're the biggest idiots I've ever met"  
  
"We love you. So yeah, maybe we're idiots"  
  
Jun closed the drawers he had opened before and left the room with something in his hands. I couldn't see it well, since he left quickly, but it looked like some kind of clothes. I followed him to the _genkan_ , where he tied a bag and placed it on his shoulder.  
  
"Where are you going?", I asked.  
  
He looked at me for a short while and opened the door.  
  
"To feed and help the people who have no home because of you"  
  
My heart shrank with the sound of the closing door.  
  
Was it really necessary to make me feel so guilty? I knew what we did was wrong but we did it for him. I tried to explain it that morning, yet he refused to listen and ran to help Ohno and Sakurai instead. Were they more important to him than Aiba-chan and I?  
  
When Aiba-chan came back from the well, I told him about my conversation with Jun. He didn't look thrilled at all about the result but I told him that it would be fine. Time would make Jun come back to his senses and he would eventually come back to the room with us. I don't know if Aiba-chan believed me but at least he wasn't crying anymore, so it looked like he was feeling a little better.  
  
Days passed, then weeks, and Jun didn't come back to the room. He didn't look furious anymore and sometimes he would talk to us, but it was just about specific things he needed to ask for. Aiba-chan begged him several times to sleep with us again but he always replied that he wouldn't do it until we explained everything to the guards. I tried to convince him myself several times too. I missed him and couldn't stand the tense situation at home, but he wouldn't listen. It looked like he blamed me more than he blamed Aiba-chan, so his attitude was colder towards me.  
  
One night, after a long talk to Aiba-chan, feeling tired of the situation, I told Jun that we were willing to tell the truth to Ohno and Sakurai and give their home back if they agreed to be quiet about the incident. At that point, we didn't care about the grounds or the house anymore. We did everything for the sake of Jun's happiness but far from feeling happy, he was upset and angry, so it didn't make any sense that we kept the house. If we did, it would end up meaning the end of our relationship, which was the opposite of what we wanted. Both Aiba-chan and I had agreed that we didn't want to lose Jun, and we felt as if we were about to do it if we didn't fix the situation soon.  
  
"Are you serious?", Jun blinked when he heard my words.  
  
Aiba-chan nodded eagerly right away.  
  
"We talked about it", he said. "And we don't want to lose you. We want you back in the room with us, Jun. It's painful seeing you act so cold and distant"  
  
"Then, are you willing to come with me today and give those guys what's theirs?"  
  
Aiba-chan nodded immediately.  
  
"Yes, we are!", he exclaimed.  
  
"Only if they agree to be quiet though", I remarked.  
  
Jun narrowed his eyes.  
  
"You aren't in the position to ask for such a thing"  
  
I shrugged.  
  
"Then we aren't going with you"  
  
I heard Aiba-chan squeaking as I turned around, ready to leave the room, but Jun grabbed my wrist and stopped me.  
  
"I'll talk to them", he said.  
  
I smiled as I turned to him.  
  
"Alright"  
  
Jun didn't grab any food or clothes that morning. Sakurai and Ohno didn't need them anymore, since they would be back to their house. I only hoped our old house was still available or we wouldn't have a place to live. Aiba-chan had suggested staying in the house with Ohno and Sakurai but it would be an awkward situation for everyone, and I didn't even think they would agree in the first place.  
  
We followed Jun deep into the forest until we couldn't see anything but trees and more trees around us. He stopped and told us to wait there. He said that Sakurai and Ohno were somewhere close by, so he would talk to them first and see what their reaction was, then he would come back to take us where they were camping.  
  
That is if they consented.  
  
"Do you think it'll be alright?", Aiba-chan asked me when Jun was gone.  
  
"I don't know, but I hope so"  
  
"I'm worried they don't want to listen"  
  
I sat down on the floor and leaned my back on a tree.  
  
"We stole their house", I said. "Probably they're furious, yeah"  
  
Aiba-chan sat down next to me and frowned.  
  
"Then we don't have a chance?"  
  
"We may or may not have it. It's fifty-fifty"  
  
"I want Jun to love us again", he pouted.  
  
"He loves us. He's only mad"  
  
"He's been mad for weeks now"  
  
"He has a good reason for it. We tricked those people and lied to him"  
  
"Yeah... you're right... We did something terrible..."  
  
"You know what pisses me off? That Jun doesn't want to understand we did it for him", I snorted. "He's so stubborn"  
  
Aiba-chan held my hand in his and played with my fingers. I reached out with my free hand and stroke his hair as I sighed. He didn't cry anymore but he was still so sad and broken that it was painful to watch him.  
  
"It'll be alright", I said.  
  
He nodded and rested his head against my shoulder.  
  
I kept playing with his hair in silence while we waited for Jun. I felt guilty because stealing that house had been my idea and I kind of had dragged Aiba-chan with me, so I wanted to fix it. I wanted Jun to forgive us and I wanted Aiba-chan to smile again. Even when he didn't cry, I didn't remember the last time I had seen his smile. Probably, it had been a long time ago, before we started to plan how to get Ohno and Sakurai's grounds.  
  
"Jun!!!", Aiba-chan jumped up.  
  
I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize Jun was coming back. He walked fast among the trees. Aiba-chan immediately ran to him but when he reached Jun and tried to hug him, Jun pushed him away and continued his way, walking straight to me. I stood up and shook my clothes to get rid of the grass and soil stuck there, as I watched him.  
  
"Everything is your fault!", he exclaimed as he pointed at me with an accusatory finger, his eyes filled with anger. "Everything is your damn fault!"  
  
I frowned, confused.  
  
"What's my fault?"  
  
"They were caught!", he roared. "Ohno and Sakurai were caught!"  
  
"Eh?!"  
  
"They're gone. Their things are gone!"  
  
"Wait, wait", I tried to calm him down. "Maybe they moved somewhere else"  
  
"They would've told me. I'm the one who provides them food"  
  
Aiba-chan reached us at that moment.  
  
"Ohno and Sakurai are gone?", he asked.  
  
"They must be in jail", Jun clicked his tongue. "This is a mess. This is a real mess"  
  
"Can't we look somewhere else?", I insisted. "Maybe they had to g-"  
  
"I tell you I would know it!", Jun cut me off.  
  
I frowned, fed up with his attitude, and crossed my arms over my chest.  
  
"Fine"  
  
"Maybe we can go to the guards' headquarters and check if they're there", said Aiba-chan.  
  
"Sure", I rolled my eyes. "We can go there and ask if Ohno and Sakurai are in jail. That sounds pretty normal, of course"  
  
Aiba-chan lowered his head.  
  
"You have to turn yourselves in", Jun stated firmly.  
  
I looked daggers at him.  
  
I was tired of his constant reproaches.  
  
"We came here to talk to Ohno and Sakurai, didn't we?", I asked him. "But you still say we should turn ourselves in?"  
  
"Those people are in jail when they're innocent"  
  
"You don't even know if they're in jail", I snorted and took a step forward. "Lately, it looks like you care about them more than you care about us. Did you see Aiba-chan? He's so sad that it's overwhelming but you don't seem to care. You only speak about Ohno and Sakurai, and how unfair and selfish we are. We became criminals because of you! The only one who's selfish here, it's you!"  
  
Jun shook his head slowly.  
  
"I can't believe you're trying to blame me"  
  
"It's not like that. I just want you to realize we love you and you're hurting us"  
  
"You hurt me first! You lied to me and scammed two innocent people!"  
  
"Because we love you!"  
  
"If you love me, do what's right. Go to the guards now and explain what happened"  
  
"Never"  
  
Jun clenched his fists.  
  
He was furious. More than I'd ever seen him before.  
  
"Then I'll have to report you myself", he said. "I'll tell them you tricked Ohno and Sakurai to steal their grounds"  
  
"Do it", I dared him.  
  
Jun's eyes widened.  
  
"Come on! Go!", I insisted. "Do it. Report the two people you claim to love the most"  
  
Aiba-chan looked up to us with tears streaming down his face. He clung to Jun's arm, tugging at his _yukata_ with a begging expression. It was so painful seeing him begging like that, desperately crying while Jun only looked away and ignored him.  
  
"I know what you're trying to do here, Nino", he told me, still looking away from Aiba-chan. "You're testing me"  
  
I remained silent, my eyes fixed on him.  
  
"I can't report you and you know it well", he continued. "But I still can leave you"  
  
A muffled scream came from Aiba-chan's throat.  
  
"No!", he pleaded. "No, Jun! Please! Don't leave us!"  
  
I shook my head in disbelief.  
  
Was this the same Jun we fell in love with six years ago?  
  
How could he say those words with such a straight face? How could he watch and hear Aiba-chan begging and pleading like that and not feel any pain? He had changed. He wasn't the Jun I knew and fell in love with. He was cold and I wasn't even sure he loved us anymore. Maybe he loved Ohno and Sakurai now.  
  
"You can't leave us", I said, looking him in the eyes. "Because I'm the one leaving"  
  
Jun froze.  
  
Aiba-chan turned to me.  
  
"What?!", he exclaimed.  
  
"You can come with me if you want, Aiba-chan"  
  
"What are you saying, Nino?", he sobbed. "You can't be serious!"  
  
"Sorry, but I can't stand this anymore"  
  
I turned around and walked away through the forest.  
  
At first, I could hear Aiba-chan trying to follow me but then he stopped and started to cry louder, asking Jun to stay. I looked at them over my shoulder and could see Jun walking away in the opposite direction I took, while Aiba-chan stood halfway in between us, covering his face with his two hands.  
  
He was crying his heart out.  
  
My heart shrank.  
  
I hated to leave him behind but we were three in our relationship.  
  
Without Jun, it was broken.


	5. Ohno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to my dear 'Sho-chan' for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
>  
> 
> _If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)_

I tripped over for the third time that morning.  
  
The first two times had been just little tumbles which didn't make me lose my balance but this third time I fell flat on my face, letting go of everything I had in my hands to avoid smashing it on the ground. The noise of the stuff hitting the floor and me landing on the ground, made Sho turn around and run to help me.  
  
"Are you okay?", he asked, kneeling down next to me.  
  
"Yeah, I think so", I replied, clicking my tongue as a sign of frustration. "One of my _geta_ slipped out"  
  
He sighed and reached out to me. I accepted his hand and sat down on the ground, opening my _yukata_ to check my knees; one of them was slightly red and the other one had a small scratch. Nothing serious. Maybe it was my mood what had come off badly.  
  
Sho picked up the _geta_ I had lost in my tumble and fetched it to me.  
  
"We can have a rest, if you want to", he said, sitting down next to me as he gently caressed my knee, checking the small scratch.  
  
We had been awakened by the sound of determined steps in the middle of the night and had managed to hear a conversation between two men, in which they talked about exploring the area after the sun came up. Sho and I suspected they were imperial guards, so we gathered up the few things we had and ran away once we were sure they had left. We didn't know where to go but we knew for sure that we should leave the area as soon as possible because the moment the guards found out the marks of our tent, they would know someone had been there and would ask for reinforcements right away. We didn't even have time to tell Matsumoto we were leaving or make a stop to have breakfast.  
  
I hated to be a bother but we had been walking all night and part of the morning, so I didn't have any strength left.  
  
"Do you think we're safe here?", I asked, looking at him with concern.  
  
"I think we're far enough. Also, we're in the middle of the forest, so maybe we could use some bushes to disguise our tent"  
  
"That would be nice. I think I need to eat something"  
  
Sho nodded and looked down at my knees.  
  
"Can you move well?"  
  
"I think so"  
  
I got up and moved my legs, showing him I was fine. Sho got up as well, took the sack I had been carrying and held my hand. I tried to complain, since he was carrying too many things, but he came ahead of me.  
  
"I think those bushes over there will do", he said. "We can camp here for a few days and then try to go back and tell Matsumoto we are okay"  
  
"For a few days?", I asked, bewildered. "How are we going to live without food?"  
  
"Don't worry. I saved some of the cans Matsumoto provided and the two canteens are full of water. I think we can survive for three or four days with these. Things should calm down by then"  
  
I let go of his hand and embraced him from his back, holding him tight against my body. I was always thankful for having Sho by my side but at that moment I thought I was the luckiest person on earth. He was always thinking about everything and took care of both of us.  
I couldn't be happier.  
  
"Thank you", I whispered against his back.  
  
He turned around and dropped the things he had in his hands to wrap his arms around me.  
  
"You know we're together. In this and everything else", he said.  
  
I nodded and moved away to kiss his lips.  
  
"OK. If I'm going to win hugs and kisses, I'll change our camping place everyday", he chuckled.  
  
"Do it and I'll kill you", I replied with a smile.  
  
Sho cracked up and kissed me.  
  
"Let's eat something", he said, grabbing the few things I was still carrying and dropping them on the floor, then he unloaded the things he was carrying on his back and grabbed an unlabeled can from one of the sacks. "I don't know what's inside but maybe the surprise makes it taste better"  
  
"Anything is fine"  
  
While Sho looked for something to open the can, I took a blanket and spread it out on the floor to sit down. He didn't take long to join me and that can, which turned out to be full of corn, was soon empty. Even when he didn't complain, I knew Sho was just as hungry and exhausted as I was.  
  
"Maybe we could set the tent later", I said, lying down on the blanket.  
  
"Wouldn't you like to sleep?"  
  
"Yeah, but it's alright like this. The day is sunny"  
  
Sho looked at the sky, as if wanting to check the weather, but I rolled on my side and reached out to gently touch his arm. He looked at me and I smiled, inviting him to lie down next to me. The moment he did, I snuggled up against his chest and played with the lapels of his _yukata_. He was lying face up, absently caressing my hair and looking pensive. However, I could only think about the bit of chest his _yukata_ suggested.  
  
I wanted to see more.  
  
I wanted to touch more, so I subtlety moved the lapels away with my fingers and gently caressed his skin with my fingertips. Sho didn't say anything but he slowly traveled his hand down my back until he reached my waist, where he played a little with his fingers, drawing small circles on my lower back, then he continued his way down and eagerly squeezed my ass, moving me closer to him. I instinctively pressed my body against him and placed my leg on his as I opened his _yukata_ more, exposing one of his nipples. I thought it was a fascinating view. Especially, when it started to harden due to the sudden contact with the fresh morning breeze.  
  
I didn't hesitate.  
  
I climbed over Sho's body to reach his nipple with my lips and kiss it. He shivered under my touch and squeezed me even more against him, showing me how much he liked it, so I stuck out my tongue and started to play, tracing small circles with the tip. Sho tugged at my hair and made me look at him. Desire was reflected in his eyes.  
  
"If you're going to continue", he said. "You better do it until the end"  
  
The mischievous smirk on my lips gave him the reply.  
  
He used the hand he had on my hair to pull me closer to his mouth and kiss me eagerly, while he used his other hand to grab the leg I had on his and lift me up to make me straddle him. I immediately started moving my hips by instinct as I allowed him to explore my mouth with his tongue, making me moan.  
  
"Satoshi", he sighed with pleasure. "You drive me crazy"  
  
He nibbled at my lower lip while I placed my hands on his hair and ruffled it, still moving my hips. He slipped his hands under my _yukata_ and grabbed my ass over my underwear, kneading my buttocks, pressing me against his crotch. I sighed long and deeply as a wave of heat got over my entire body. Then, I left his hair to reach his _obi_ and clumsily get rid of it, opening his _yukata_. He did the same to my clothes and, when our naked bodies touched each other, both us desperately looked for each other's mouth once again.  
  
Sho didn't take long to look for my underwear's waistband and tug at it, showing me how eager he was to have me naked, so I shifted my position just enough for both of us to get rid of each other's underwear, while still kissing him. I took the chance to grab his member and jerk it a couple of times but he soon pulled my arms, placing me over him once again, and separated my buttocks to slowly draw a circle around my entrance.  
  
"May I start?", he asked in a whisper.  
  
I grabbed the finger he had just used to draw the circle and introduced it inside of me, closing my eyes and opening my mouth as I got used to the feeling. Sho waited a few seconds and then he started to move the finger, slowly doing circles inside of me, expanding little by little until he was able to introduce a second finger. I moaned and sighed several times, kissing his neck, his lips, his face, his collarbone... Any place was perfect if it was Sho's body.  
  
"Sho...", I panted. "I'm ready..."  
  
Sho was always careful but he was being even more careful at that moment, since we were exhausted and in the middle of the forest. It wasn't the most comfortable place out there but we hadn't been intimate in several days due to the recent events in our lives, and we couldn't hold back anymore. Our desire was too strong and neither of us wanted to wait longer.  
  
Sho removed his fingers but didn't have the time to do anything else because I grabbed his member and inserted it inside of me. The feeling that took over me was so pleasant that it made my whole body shake as I threw my head back, exhaling a big sigh.  
  
Sho was inside of me.  
  
We were one again.  
  
He caressed my chest with his hands, traveling down to my waist, where he grabbed my hips to set the rhythm but I stopped him and looked in his eyes. I bet my eyes were as full of desire as his, which sparkled with intensity.  
  
"Let me do it", I whispered. "Come here"  
  
I held his hands and pulled him up, so he sat down on the blanket, and then I placed his arms around me and threw mine around his neck. We were skin against skin once again and now that he was inside of me, the feeling was even better. I started to move, slowly picking up the rhythm, and smiled when I felt how he pressed his face against my chest and kissed it, and sighed, and moaned.  
  
For a few minutes, the world was ours.  
  
No guards, no Matsumoto, no Ninomiya, no Aiba, no hunger and no exhaustion existed at the moment. It was just Sho and I. Only my body moving over his, his arms around me, and our skins touching while pleasure took over us until we almost passed out on that blanket on the ground. Then, Sho reached out and fumbled among his things for another blanket to cover our naked bodies.  
  
"I really needed this", I said, cuddling against him with a smile on my lips. "I needed you, Sho"  
  
My half-brother caressed my back under the blanket he had just unfolded.  
  
"Me too. I missed you", he cleared his throat. "Though, I will deny it later"  
  
I smiled to myself and closed my eyes.  
  
We slept until past noon, when we opened another can of food, which turned out to contain some tuna, and set up our tent and made some fire to avoid feeling cold at night.  
  
We camped there for three days and the morning of the forth day we decided it was about time to return to our grounds. Hopefully, the guards had already finished tracking the area and surroundings and had changed their investigation place. We also thought it was time to look for Matsumoto, tell him why we had disappeared and get some food, since we hardly had anything anymore.  
  
We never expected to return to an empty house.  
  
There was no trace of Matsumoto or any of his friends, as much as we waited for their return until the wee hours. In the end, Sho and I decided to go into what had been our home and were surprised to find dirty dishes on the dining room table, as if they had been used days ago.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?", asked Sho, looking around the house.  
  
"Do you think they left?"  
  
My half-brother remained silent and the expression on his face changed.  
  
"I don't know but I'm tired of sleeping in the forest. We'll stay here, in our home"  
  
I blinked, bewildered.  
  
"What's going to happen when they come back?"  
  
"Maybe they won't come back"  
  
"What about the guards?"  
  
Sho turned to me, his hands on his hips.  
  
"Do you have any other idea?"  
  
I looked down.  
  
"No", I replied in a small voice.  
  
My half brother sighed as he approached me and placed one of his arms around my neck, pulling me close to kiss the top of my head. I leaned my forehead against his chest and clung to his _yukata_ with both hands.  
  
"Sorry", he whispered.  
  
I shook my head, letting him know there was nothing to be sorry about. Both of us were tired of the situation and none of us were to blame. I was just on the edge and wanted the situation to end. I missed our home, our _futon_ , our peaceful lives, and I didn't know how longer I would be able to endure the situation without breaking down.  
  
"I only want this situation to end", I said.  
  
"Me too", he replied, taking my face in his hands. "But we can't do anything unless Matsumoto and his friends come back"  
  
I nodded.  
  
He was right.  
  
"At least, we have food here", I said.  
  
"We need to watch out, just in case the guards appear or Matsumoto and his friends come back, but I think it's better to stay here and sleep in our _futon_ than keep wandering around the forest"  
  
I nodded again, in agreement.  
  
Things calmed down during the next two weeks. Sho and I had our home back, as if by magic, and neither the guards or Matsumoto and his friends showed signs of being alive. Everything was oddly quiet, even when we decided to start turning the lights on at night and see what happened.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
Sho and I relaxed a little and almost started doing our normal lives again. A part of us was still watching out and we didn't dare to go to the center of the city, but I was so happy to have our home back that I didn't care about anything else.  
  
Until one morning, when the sound of steps in our living room woke us up.  
  
Sho almost jumped out of his _futon_ but I held his wrist, scared to death, and motioned him to keep calm. Knowing him, I knew his intention was kicking out whoever had entered our home but it could be the guards and I wasn't sure we would be as lucky as we had been weeks earlier.  
  
We were motionless for a few seconds, quietly listening, and we could guess it was just one person going around the house. They walked from here to there, opening drawers, but it didn't seem as if they were on a rush. If that person was a burglar, they were really shameless. I felt Sho's body tensing up with anger and couldn't stop him any longer when he decided to storm out the room.  
  
"Sho!", I whispered, rushing after him. "Wait!"  
  
My half brother didn't listen and ran to the living room, where he stopped in his tracks. I followed him and couldn't believe what I was seeing; sitting down on the _tatami_ , Matsumoto was staring at us, surrounded by his clothes. He stood up right away and fixed his _yukata_.  
  
He looked just as bewildered as us.  
  
"Where were you all this time?", asked Sho, abruptly. "Where are your friends? We're not leaving our house again, so I'm ready to kick them out"  
  
"Don't worry", Matsumoto sighed. "They aren't going to come back and I'm here only to get my stuff. I will be gone really soon"  
  
Something about him was different. He looked tired and his words gave off sadness. I stepped closer to Sho and reached out to gently squeeze his hand, silently asking him to allow me to continue the conversation. He was too temperamental and had never really come to like Matsumoto.  
  
"Can I ask why your friends aren't here with you?", I asked, calmly. "I know we hadn't known each other for a long time now but you helped us out when we were in trouble. We owe you"  
  
Sho tensed up but I strengthened my grip on his hand.  
  
"You don't have to worry anymore. They turned themselves in, so your home is yours again", Matsumoto fixed his eyes on us. "I'm glad to see you're alive"  
  
"You thought us dead?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"You suddenly disappeared, so I thought the guards had found you"  
  
I looked at Sho, who looked more relaxed now, and then at Matsumoto.  
  
"We're sorry", I apologized. "We heard the guards one night and decided to run away for a few days, so they couldn't find us"  
  
Matsumoto nodded again.  
  
"At least, it made Nino and Aiba tell the truth", he said. "We had a big argument the day you disappeared, which cost us our break-up, but it all had a good ending"  
  
My heart shrank.  
  
Break-up.  
  
I loved Sho with all my being and couldn't even imagine how painful it would be to break up with him. I didn't understand what kind of love relationship could be one in which three people were involved but Matsumoto had to say goodbye to two people he loved. On the same day.  
  
He might've felt shattered.  
  
"Can I ask where are you living now?"  
  
"Where I can. Most of the time, on the streets"  
  
Sho and I looked at each other, at the same time.  
  
We didn't need to say anything.  
  
Matsumoto had helped us out when we almost starved to death, he looked after our needs for days, and broke his relationship with the people he loved because of us. If Aiba and Ninomiya had turned themselves in and we could have our home back, it was all his done.  
  
Both Sho and I knew we had a lot to thank him for.  
  
"You can stay here while you don't find a place to live", Sho was the one who spoke. "This house is big. We have enough rooms for everyone"  
  
Matsumoto looked at us, clearly surprised.  
  
"We owe you", I insisted, supporting Sho. "Say yes, please. We can't leave you on the streets"  
  
Matsumoto stared at us in silence.  
  
I squeezed Sho's hand and prayed for him to accept our offer.


	6. Aiba

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  Disclaimer: fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
> A/N: Thanks to my dear 'Sho-chan' for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
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It was the worst day of my life.  
  
When I thought things would be fixed between us, Nino and Jun had a strong fight. They yelled at each other in the forest and Nino decided to leave. I tried to run after him but Jun decided to walk away in the opposite direction and I didn't know what to do anymore. I was torn between my two lovers. I couldn't choose just one of them. I felt so broken that I froze and could only cover my face while crying my eyes out.  
  
It was so painful seeing us falling apart.  
  
After that, I had to go back to my parents' home, where I was reminded how abnormal I was. They had never accepted my feelings for Nino, since the very beginning, but the moment Jun came into our lives they decided to make my life miserable. In their eyes, I was a freak because not only I loved a man but I loved two men, at the same time. Even now, after six years of relationship with Jun and Nino, my mother insisted I should stop playing around and find a girl to marry.  
  
Playing around.  
  
That's how it was in their eyes.  
  
If it was only a game, why did it hurt so much then? I felt like I was going to die. I was still in touch with both of them but, as much as I begged, they wouldn't agree to meet, even if it was just as friends. I still met Nino quite often and we were still best friends but something was missing.  
  
Without Jun, it wasn't the same anymore.  
  
I missed him so much.  
  
"Nino", I said one evening as we watched the sunset together, sitting down by the river. "Are you happy?"  
  
Nino sighed and took his time to reply.  
  
"Only rich people are happy"  
  
I thought about Jun and his wealthy family.  
  
Would he be happy?  
  
"I don't care about money", I replied, grabbing a pebble and throwing it to the river.  
  
"You should"  
  
"Why? Money can't fix our relationship"  
  
Nino remained silent.  
  
When I turned to him, he was frowning.  
  
I didn't hesitate to say what was on my mind.  
  
"Even without Jun, I still love you"  
  
He shook his head.  
  
"We've already talked about that", he replied almost in a whisper.  
  
"I know things can't be fixed between you and Jun", my chest hurt as I said those words. "But what about you and me? We were together before we met Jun and we were alright"  
  
Nino shook his head again, letting out a long sigh.  
  
"Jun completed us", he said, staring at the orange sky. "We were alright before we met him but he completed us. It doesn't work anymore if one of us is gone"  
  
Thinking about it, he was right.  
  
When the three of us were together, we were complete.  
  
We were one.  
  
"You miss him, right?", I stated.  
  
"I don't want to talk about him", Nino frowned. "Jun is in the past"  
  
I knew Nino like the back of my hand and I knew he was hurting. When he snapped at me like that and frowned in such a painful way, I could tell he was really suffering. He would never accept it and even less said it aloud, but he missed Jun just as badly as I did.  
  
I sighed and gently held his hand.  
  
"Nino...", I said. "I'm thinking about turning myself in"  
  
He looked at me, his eyes wide open.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
I'd been thinking about it for several days. I wasn't happy at my parents' home, Jun didn't want to know about us as long as Sakurai and Ohno had to keep running away, and Nino wasn't willing to confess the crime. Not that I wanted to see him in jail, anyway. On the other hand, I didn't care about being locked.  
  
I didn't have anything to lose.  
  
"I want to confess to the guards. We wanted that house as a present for Jun but it ended up wrong. I think we should have never stolen it, Nino"  
  
"When you say it like that, it sounds terrible", he grumbled.  
  
"Because what we did is indeed terrible", I sighed. "I hope that Jun can forgive us one day"  
  
My friend was silent, so I looked at him.  
  
He was frowning again.  
  
"I'm not going to let you go to jail", he finally said.  
  
I sighed in frustration.  
  
"I'm determined, Nino. I'm going to turn myself in. This situation is only making the three of us miserable. Admitting my crime is the only way for Jun to forgive us"  
  
I was terrified about going to jail but things weren't going the way we expected and two innocent people lost their home because of us. I felt terribly guilty and knowing that Jun couldn't forgive us was killing me, day after day. Anything was better than going on like that. Anything was better than feeling that unbearable pain.  
  
"We will turn ourselves in together, then", Nino stated.  
  
I stared at him, flabbergasted.  
  
I didn't expect that reply.  
  
"Nino... don't..."  
  
"I'm not going to let you pay by yourself for what we did. It was my idea and you supported me. We're together in this until the end. If you turn yourself in, I will turn myself in as well"  
  
I hadn't even considered the possibility of Nino wanting to turn himself in. I didn't want to see him locked up. It would be too painful to me.  
  
"I can't allow you to turn yourself in", I said.  
  
"I already told you that I'm not going to let you pay for this by yourself. Either we confess together or none of us do it"  
  
Nino was determined.  
  
I had seen that look on his face before and I knew that it didn't matter what I could say at the moment, I wouldn't be able to persuade him.  
  
"Alright", I sighed. "I won't confess"  
  
Nino raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What made you change your mind?"  
  
"I thought that if I turned myself in, Sakurai and Ohno would get their home back, Jun would forgive us and you would be free to welcome him. If you confess as well, no one can welcome Jun when he's back"  
  
Nino clicked his tongue.  
  
"You're an idiot", he said. "Jun is mad at the two of us for what we did and he's not going to change his mind until we admit it. He would never come back if I didn't pay for my sin too, even less knowing you're in jail, paying for the two of us"  
  
I knew that he didn't really think I was an idiot; he just didn't like that idea of me sacrificing my freedom for everyone's sake. I had always liked his particular way of showing he cared and normally it made me smile, but nothing could relieve my pain at the moment. I hated the situation. I hated to live again with my family. I hated not having Jun. I hated not having Nino. But, on top of it all, I hated to sit back and do nothing to fix it.  
  
A tear fell down my cheek.  
  
It rolled down and fell on the back of my hand, which was resting on my lap. I wanted to stop. I didn't want to allow more tears to flow but Nino wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close to him, and I couldn't hold back anymore. I broke into a thousand pieces. I cried in Nino's arms, wishing for everything to be bad dream.  
  
"I'm sorry", I sobbed, moving away from him.  
  
Nino sighed.  
  
I tried to wipe my tears and stood up.  
  
"I should go back now"  
  
Nino stood up as well and frowned again.  
  
"Wait", he said. "You're crying... I don't want to let you go like this..."  
  
"It's alright", I said. "I've got a broken heart, you already know it, but that's all. I think... I think that it's better if I leave now... and we don't see each other for some time..."  
  
Nino frowned even more.  
  
"What are you saying?", he exclaimed.  
  
"I will get over it. I only need time"  
  
He stared at me in silence, as if he was trying to read the expression on my face, and nodded slowly.  
  
I nodded too, before he could add anything.  
  
"Well... See you around... then...", I said, waving my hand at him.  
  
I didn't wait to know his reply.  
  
I walked away as fast as I could, without looking back. If I looked at him, I didn't know if I would be able to keep my mouth shut. Had he believed me? My tears had been real and my words were honest. I didn't lie to him. I simply left part of the truth out, for his and Jun's sake.  
  
The next morning, I woke up before the daybreak and walked across the streets. When I reached the center of the city, I looked for the imperial guards' headquarters and confessed my crime. They listened to me astonished until I finished. Then, they asked me a million questions and I had to explain why Nino's bag of jewels was involved in the crime. I made up a plausible lie and blamed my poverty as the reason for my crime.  
  
The guards arrested me right away and locked me up in a temporary cell until night, when they finally transferred me to what would be my new home. I was sentenced to five years in jail, which would be reduced to two if I showed a good behavior since I had turned myself in and confessed without the need to be forced.  
  
Life in jail wasn't easy.  
  
I loved my freedom and being deprived of it was overwhelming. Besides, there were all kind of criminals around me and, even when some of them had only committed minor crimes because they were as poor as I was, it wasn't pleasant to live avoiding the troublesome people.  
  
One day, I was in the courtyard during the break time, sitting down by the only sunny corner in the area, when someone stood right in front of me, covering the few rays of sunshine I could get. I tried to pretend I hadn't noticed them and kept my eyes closed, wishing they would soon be gone.  
  
"You're an idiot", a voice said.  
  
That voice.  
  
I opened my eyes and almost jumped up.  
  
Nino was there, his arms over his chest, looking at me as if he really thought I was an idiot at that moment.  
  
"Nino!!", I exclaimed, practically throwing myself in his arms.  
  
He immediately moved me away.  
  
"What are you doing?", he said, looking around. "Do you want to get us in trouble?"  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't control myself"  
  
I was wearing a bright smile on my face as I said those words, until I remembered where we were. What was Nino doing in jail?  
  
"Wait", I said as nerves crowded in my stomach. "Why are you here?"  
  
"I came for holidays", he replied as he rolled his eyes. "What do you think?"  
  
The thoughts gathered in my mind at the same speed as the nerves had crowded in my stomach. Had he turned himself in? What about Jun? Did he know that the two of us were in jail now? Suddenly, I forgot about all the excitement and nerves yielded to uneasiness.  
  
"Please, Nino", I begged him. "Tell me what happened. I swear I didn't report you"  
  
"I know", he said with a serious face. "I told you that I wouldn't let you do this alone"  
  
"But I didn't tell you I was planning to confess. I mean, yes. I did. But then, I told you that I wouldn't do it"  
  
"Do you think I believed you?"  
  
I blinked.  
  
"Yes?", I asked.  
  
Nino shook his head.  
  
"We've known each other for too long, Masaki", he smiled. "You've never been a good liar"  
  
I lowered my head, slightly embarrassed.  
  
"You're not going to be alone", he said, patting my head. "At least, as long as I'm alive"  
  
A part of me was glad to have him close while I was in jail, even when our cells were in different areas of the prison and we could only see each other during meals or break times. I didn't care. To me, even seeing him for only five minutes a day would've been enough.  
  
Days seemed to last forever inside there.  
  
We took part in different activities and cleaned our cells everyday but minutes were like hours. Especially, at night, when everything was silent and lights were out. My head didn't stop spinning around, torturing me with a million thoughts, and I usually couldn't sleep until the wee hours.  
  
After almost two years, Nino and I were released on the same day.  
  
As we walked out of prison, a strange feeling took over me.  
  
I was free.  
  
I could feel the sun on my skin as a free being. I could do what I wanted to do, I could finally eat my favorite dish again and I could go wherever I wanted to go. But where would I go when I probably didn't have a home or a family anymore?  
  
Thoughts were starting to overwhelm me when Nino stopped on his tracks.  
  
"What the hell...?", he whispered to himself.  
  
I stopped and followed his gaze.  
  
The most beautiful smile greeted me.  
  
A smile I had missed so much.  
  
"Jun...", I whispered.  
  
I ran to him and threw myself in his arms.  
  
I didn't care if my family didn't love me anymore. I didn't care if Nino was stubborn. I didn't care about the two years in jail. I hugged Jun so tightly that he almost lost his balance as I let tears flow freely, not caring about anything else.  
  
He was back.  
  
"Hey, hey", he chuckled, stroking my hair. "I can't breathe"  
  
"I missed you", I sobbed. "I missed you so much"  
  
He hid his nose in my hair.  
  
"I missed you too", he whispered.  
  
I closed my eyes and cried like a child in his arms.  
  
I was happy.  
  
I could feel him again.  
  
When I opened my eyes, Jun was still stroking my hair but he wasn't looking at me. I turned around in his arms and saw Nino watching us. Jun reached out, inviting him to join us. Nino hesitated for a second but ended up approaching us, though he didn't join the hug. He just stood up in front of us.  
  
"Long time no see", he said.  
  
"Shut up"  
  
Jun grabbed his wrist and pulled him close until their lips met.  
  
Nino didn't try to resist. He threw his arms around Jun and kissed him back. I smiled, filled with happiness, and placed one of my arms around Nino while my other arm stayed around Jun, embracing the two of them. When Jun and Nino broke their kiss, Jun kissed me and I could feel one of Nino's arms around me.  
  
"I missed you, guys", I whispered.  
  
Jun stroke our hair as he smiled.  
  
Nino hid his face in Jun's chest, quietly.  
  
I just tightened my arms around them.  
  
I couldn't ask for anything else. I had everything.  
  
Jun moved away to hold our hands and stared at us, his eyes sparkling like stars in the sky.  
  
"I've found a fantastic place for us to live together", he announced.  
  
Nino blinked. I squealed with excitement.  
  
Jun had found a place for us.  
  
Our home.  
  
We walked for a couple of hours, talking only about good things, trying to hold onto our happiness so desperately that it almost hurt. When Jun stopped and told us to look at our new home, I was shocked to see we were at Sakurai and Ohno's grounds.  
  
What was going on?  
  
I looked over at Nino. He was puzzled.  
  
Especially, when the two men came out of the house and gave us a warm greeting.  
  
"I've been living here with Sho and Satoshi during the last two years", Jun explained. "When I heard you would be released today, I was going to leave this place to live with you but they were incredibly generous and said the three of us can stay here with them"  
  
Sho and Satoshi? Stay with them?  
  
I didn't understand.  
  
"It's selfish on our side", Ohno said. "This house is too big for the two of us. We've got used to have Jun around and well, he told us about your reasons to steal our home"  
  
"Satoshi and I would've done the same for each other", added Sakurai, who held Ohno's hand and squeezed it.  
  
I looked at Jun, who was smiling at me.  
  
"I understand you may be confused", Ohno continued. "But if you want to come in, we can talk about this. We have matcha and some senbei that we would like to share with you, as a welcome present"  
  
Jun looked at Nino and squeezed our hands.  
  
There were many things I still needed to understand, especially how Jun had become so close to Ohno and Sakurai, but during those two years I had learnt that I loved Nino and Jun so much that I was willing to be locked up for them. Now that we could be together again, I didn't care where we lived as long as it was with them.  
  
My home was wherever I was with them.


End file.
